The nearly universal presence of bacteria are the cause of numerous problems, process interruptions including bulk foaming, biofouling from the accumulation of biofilms and microbial influenced corrosion (MIC) of industrial infrastructure.
It has been reported that the yearly cost of corrosion to sewage and drinking water is $36 billion, and in additional $17.6 billion to general production and manufacturing industries. These annual costs of bio-deterioration are huge, resulting in, e. g, failure of metallic heat exchanger equipment, corroded or blocked concrete sewer pipe, biologically attacked textiles or decaying pieces of cultural property. It has been also been reported that MIC caused damage of approximately US $ 55 millions in stainless steel heat exchangers alone within an 8 year period (Brennenstuhl et al., 1991). MIC is the most important factor determining the lifetime of water heater systems (Bresle, 1981).
Open flowing water will contain predominantly aerobic bacteria whereas biofilms will harbor both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. In addition there are medically harmful “pathogenic bacteria” that exist alongside the bacteria that result in fouling and corrosion of equipment as well as beneficial bacteria which are utilized to break down biomass and other needed tasks. The diversity of the bacteria strains present significance challenge to control. For adequate control it is desirable to kill both the aerobic bacteria in the flowing water and the anaerobic bacteria in the biofilms and to retain advantageous bacteria. These desirable bacteria are often purposely added to sewage and waste streams, and toxic waste dumps to facilitate processing and clean-up.
Cooling water systems are particularly plagued with biofouling and corrosion. These systems provide an ideal environment for bacteria growth and nurture. Cascading water in cooling towers picks up airborne bacteria as well as bacteria from the surface of the equipment in which it is used. As a result cooling system water contains a large variety of bacteria including sulfur-reducing bacteria (SRB), which are a principle source of MIC corrosion, as well as other biofilm forming bacteria. Since the water from cooling systems is used in heat exchange and other equipment they often become fouled from biofilm generated in the cooling water system.
Equipment in paper production is also especially subject to biofouling. In papermaking, water is used not only for cooling but also as process water. Thus, anything in the process water ends up in the paper. If strong biocides are used in the process it leads to unacceptable levels of toxic chemicals in the paper itself.
While cooling water system and paper making water systems represent extreme cases of bacterial contamination, other water systems have similar problems. For example, bacterial contamination of swimming pools must be controlled, especially in public pools. Fire extinguisher water systems, while closed, often utilize water that has been in the open, or otherwise have bacterial problems similar to open industrial water systems, are also susceptible to biofouling and corrosion. Tom Hartel, President of Valley Fire Protection Systems, LLC, located in Batavia, Ill. recently has this to say about MIC in fire extinguisher systems:                “You work diligently to protect your building from fire. You install a quality sprinkler system with state-of-the art piping and heads. You conduct regular inspections. Then a fire breaks out and your system fails.”        
In 1998, a nursing home in Iowa experienced a situation where the sprinkler heads failed to release water during a fire, due to their being totally plugged with thick rust deposits as a result of MIC. Also, a very large, federal government research facility in Illinois has a well documented case of MIC pinhole leaks in one of the cooling water systems, and the National Fire Sprinkler Association has documented more than two dozen cases of MIC in their technical report dated June 1998.
Such reports of MIC in fire protection systems have grown significantly over the past decade. Newer systems, which employ a broader variety of piping materials, can be the most vulnerable. The problem is exacerbated by MIC's aggressiveness, which can penetrate pipes in just a few months. Once the MIC bacteria attaches to the metallic components, it grows rapidly and, to the untrained eye, spreads undetected. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), together with water, bacteria, and metallurgical experts are aware of the surge in recent MIC related activity, and are working to develop effective management and inspection guidelines, standards, and solutions.
Various industries, such as power utilities, have established extensive water treatment programs and procedures to tackle bacterial problems.
MIC affects a variety of materials (steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper and cement), systems (wet and dry), and in all geographical areas from the arctic to the tropics. Chemical biocides are, at best, only marginally effective in controlling bacteria that result in fouling and corrosion. Moreover, biocides are expensive, dangerous, and often toxic to humans, animals and the environment. In particular, chemical biocides are largely ineffectual against sessile bacteria protected in complex biofilm communities, and it is exactly these chemically resistant biofilm communities that are the source of most biofouling and bio-corrosion. Oxidizing biocides that are somewhat effective against some strains of bacteria in an aqueous environment are frequently ineffective against SBR bacteria.
The definition of a perfect biocide may be found in an early NACE (National association of Corrosion Engineers) Biocide handbook:                “The ideal biocide will be effective against species that cause biofouling and bio-corrosion without interfering with the development of other species. Moreover it should be safe and easy to handle, in order to maintain the health of those people that handle it. It should be biodegradable and the intermediate products of its biodegradation should be less toxic than the original.” The “shotgun” or broad spectrum approach of chemical biocides has proven over the years to be ineffectual and result in resistant bacteria. What is needed is the perfect biocide. The present invention, utilizing an effective, specific, cheap, safe to handle, natural and environmentally benign bacteriophage to control befouling and corrosion is such a biocide.        